Syracuse Football vs Minnesota: Should SU fans take the "no expectations" approach?

Nearly two weeks ago, the Syracuse University football team traveled to a "home" game against USC at Metlife Stadium.

It was a game where the consensus said the Orange was to be the bug to USC's windshield.

As it turns out, Syracuse was more like the bug that flies around a cow on a hot day. The cow may eventually swat that fly away, but not before the fly hangs around for a long time and annoys the heck out of that cow.

AP

Syracuse walked out of Metlife Stadium with a 13-point loss to the Trojans, a gap much smaller than anyone outside of the Syracuse locker room had predicted.

Feeling good from that closer-than-expected game with a Top 5 team, Syracuse earned a lot of praise from the outside.

Tags like "best 0-2 team in the country" got thrown around to describe this team.

SU players and coaches brushed it off as hogwash.

They were focused on Stony Brook.

Fans and media wanted none of that "one game at a time" nonsense. They smelled blood in the water with an FCS team entering the Carrier Dome.

It was time for Syracuse to make a statement. To show how far they had come and validate what they had shown in the first two weeks against a weaker opponent.

As it turns out, it was Stony Brook's turn to be the fly and Syracuse's turn to be the cow.

Stony Brook went into the half with a 17-14 lead. They gave Syracuse all they could handle before the Orange eventually went on a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter that iced away the game at 28-17 and swatted that annoying fly away for good.

Syracuse left a lot of points on the field in that game by missing two field goals and failing to convert on two fourth-and-goal situations.

Still...28-17? That's it? Over Stony Brook?

Players and coaches talked of a hard fought win. They praised the effort put out by the Seawolves. They had their first win of the season and the first win in seven games and that is all they cared about.

Meanwhile, SU fans called talk radio, got on message boards, and hit the comments section mostly wondering what was wrong.

After a win!

So that brings us to the next step. Saturday's game at Minnesota.

The Las Vegas oddsmakers have this game as just about even, with Minnesota a slight one-point favorite according to some (as of this writing).

With the last two games heavily expected to go one way but ending up with the opposite result, is it time for Syracuse fans and some of the media who cover them (yours truly included) to perhaps take a cue from Las Vegas and from the team?

Should we enter a game with no expectations?

Should we be mindless drones who just "take things one game at a time"?

When the subject of the" best 0-2 team in the nation” tag came up, Marrone said this.

“What’s that all about? Who wants to be known as that? The problem is in this day and age our kids read that and believe it. They are constantly being pulled off focus. It’s not just our team, it’s every team. You have to keep bringing them back, and every week it’s a war. I personally am (mad) that we’re 0-2 and the ‘best 0-2 in the country.’

Now, that "best 0-2 team in the country" stuff was a little ridiculous and I would expect the head coach to be perturbed at that.

But what stuck with me is how Marrone mentioned how his team is constantly being "pulled off focus."

That is where we come in. We're the distracters.

We are the ones who have the opinions. Make observations. Have a certain expectation for performance.

Marrone also said this on the eve of the Stony Brook game in that same article linked above.

“Over the last three years or so we have played to the level of our competition,” he said. “It will be interesting to see if that happens this week because I think we did a good job of keeping our focus on getting better and not the opponent.”

That "playing to the level of our competition" thing is an opinion long held by fans and media that have been watching this team over the last few years.

Fight the urge to predict this game. Having no expectations will save you the stress.

Whatever happens, well, happens!

Whatever will be, will be!!

I'll say this about the Minnesota game.

There is a big difference for Syracuse football at 1-3 heading into a bye week vs Syracuse football at 2-2 heading into the bye week.

This screams of a game where you just have to get out of there with a win. Anyway you can get it.

Syracuse is playing a Big Ten team on the road in a rare circumstance as they will play outdoors at night.

The second half of this game could be chilly as temperatures start to dip into the lower 50's and upper 40's after the sun sets.

Not exactly the frozen tundra, but it could produce a slick football and conditions Syracuse doesn't exactly play in every week.

Minnesota will have a big crowd on hand for this one. Gopher fans are riled up on campus as the Gophers are 3-0, which puts them at as many wins as they had last season, and believe things are on the way up in Minneapolis.

Syracuse has not been a team that gets out of the gate strong this season. That has to change in this game.

On both sides of the ball. The Orange need to take control, get the crowd out of out, and rattle a sophomore quarterback making his first start. The offense needs to get the car warmed up quickly and challenge the 6-foot-6, 237 pound Minnesota QB Max Shortell to keep pace.

Shortell looked good in relief of the injured MarQueis Gray in leading Minnesota to a 28-23 win over Western Michigan. But Syracuse has a had a week to prepare for him and the "Okie" package that Syracuse trots out for pass pressure has Shortell's name written all over it.

Special teams has to improve and not let a strong punt returner like Minnesota's A.J. Barker take over the game like the last time Syracuse played a Big Ten team a few weeks ago.

I say Syracuse wins...wait a second... HOLD IT.

Aren't we supposed to be practicing the Constanza "opposite theory" here?

*Clears throat*

As I was saying, it is going to be a tough game.

We just have to take it one quarter at a time and see what happens.

If Syracuse gives it their best effort and executes on offense, defense, and special teams, hopefully they will come away with a victory.

But I have no expectations for this game. I'm just going to watch a spirited football contest Saturday night.